How Our Limiting Beliefs Can Sabotage Sales
#1: They work well in the dark…
Summary: "How Our Limiting Beliefs Can Sabotage Sales"
How you respond to the question "how much...?" determines whether or not the sale is successful, but is the prospect of a sale being sabotaged by your own internal belief system before you ever open your mouth to answer the question?
There is a question we hear every day in our photography business, asked to us either through email, or on the telephone: “How much do you charge for…?” Of all the questions put to us, I believe this has to be one of the scariest for most photographers.
Why Are We So Frightened Of This Question?
What is it about this question, which we hear all the time, that somehow strikes dread into our hearts whenever someone asks it? After all, we know the question is coming, so it’s not entirely unexpected, and the person asking the question isn’t doing so out of a desire to intimidate us in any way. They just want to know the answer!
So, What Is There For Us To Be Afraid Of, Really?
When I sat down to analyze this problem, I was very surprised at how complex the issue really is. Far from being simple, the reason we’re so scared of this question is made up of several key elements that, when combined together, create a psychological drama from which escape can be difficult.
The problem in studying this type of situation is that everything happens so very quickly. Our minds process the question and produce a response almost before the prospect has finished speaking! As soon as we hear the two words, “how much…”, we instinctively know what’s coming next, and our brains are already at work sifting through the emotional wreckage to find an answer we think will be satisfactory for the person we’re talking to.
Therefore, we need to look at this process in slow-motion, as it were, to find out exactly what’s going on and see what we might be able to do about it. Oddly enough, we find that the explanation has a lot to do with where we are right now in our business.
You Are Here
How is business going for you in general, right now? Is it going well, okay, or poorly? When a prospect asks you “how much…?” your first thought is very likely to be connected with how well your last sale (or attempt at a sale) went. With that single innocent-looking thought, the outcome is about sealed…
This first thought generates an emotional response, either positive or negative, depending on the result of your previous sale experience and a complex system of beliefs and paradigms (see below for more on those). The emotions you feel then lead to all kinds of strange reactions, such as the development of expectations and your perception of the current situation, all colored by your previous experiences. That perception then causes you to take action, in the context of providing an answer to the original question. When you do answer, the way you speak, your tone of voice, any sign of hesitation, your overall confidence, and even how you expect her to respond, are all conveyed to the prospect – without you even being aware of it…
And all that happens in the blink of an eye…
Understanding The Problem Is The Key To Solving It
Before we can set about breaking this vicious cycle that we’re caught up in, I believe there’s one simple thing we need to understand:
The result of any given sales situation is totally independent of any previous situation, no matter how similar they might be.
It’s a little like flipping a coin – the outcome of any given flip is totally divorced and independent from the result of the previous one – they are simply unconnected.
However, as human beings we’re prone to making connections and associations in our minds that are simply not real, yet profoundly affect many of our decisions and the outcomes of any situations we find ourselves in. In a sense, we unconsciously form beliefs about how the world works that are simply not true, such as thinking we must be charging too much because the last 3 people we spoke to didn’t hire us.
Limiting Beliefs And Paradigms
In the split second during which we craft our response to the question of “how much…?” our subconscious mind goes to work, filtering everything through the programs governed by our beliefs and paradigms. These might include such ideas as:
- People in my city don’t invest much money in photography
- They are going to think the price I say is too high
- I need to keep the price low because I really need the job
- Perhaps my work isn’t worth what I’m asking
- My last 3 sales went south so I don’t feel confident
- The photographer down the street is cheaper than me
- The photographer up the street is more expensive, but better
- Even I couldn’t afford to hire myself at these prices
- A low price is worth getting a new client
- Whatever I say now will mean either a sale or no sale
- … and the list goes on…
Can you relate to any of these concepts? Can you catch yourself thinking in the same way? I’m sure we all can – I know I’ve certainly been guilty of it myself. The point is that these ideas all serve to limit our thinking, and especially what we believe we can achieve.
When it all boils down, the result of the sale is practically sealed before we open our mouth to answer the question!
Change Your Perspective
The solution is actually quite simple – just change your perspective and replace these limiting beliefs with paradigms that serve to expand and allow for positive growth. For example, we can replace all of the above with the following:
- There are certain people in my city who love to invest in photography
- The price will seem fair as long as it isn’t greater than the perceived value
- I can’t possibly work with everyone
- As an artist, my work is worth the investment I choose to place on it
- This sale has nothing to do with the last one (or the next)
- The photographer down the street doesn’t understand how to price their work
- The photographer up the street has more overheads and a higher self-worth
- I am not my client
- If I offer a low price to get a client, I’m nothing more than a commodity
- A price is a price, nothing more – it is up to me to establish value first
Can you imagine what a difference it would make to your sales if you were governed by this alternative set of paradigms instead? How do you think your subliminal and non-verbal communication would be affected by adopting these beliefs?
The Balance Of Pricing, Value and Worth
Before I finish, there’s one last idea that I believe we all need to take note of when producing our prices and communicating them to our clients and prospects. This is the key to understanding why some people buy, and why others won’t. In a nutshell, it can be expressed like this:
How much your work is worth, the price you place upon it, and the value the client receives from it must all be in balance…
For example: If the value the client places on your photography is less than the price you’re asking, there is no sale.
Or: If your work is worth less than the price you’re asking for, your own confidence in achieving a sale is much reduced.
In either case, a sale is unlikely. This is why it is so vitally important for us to establish a true value in the buyer’s mind before ever presenting them with a price. By the way, when I refer to “value” it’s important for you to understand that I don’t mean a numerical value. In other words, I don’t mean that the buyer has a dollar amount in their head for what they think the product is worth. The “value” in this context can refer to many intangible aspects, such as the emotional and sentimental value of the photographs, or the years of joy your images will bring them.
What Can You Do Now?
I hope this post has provided some food for thought, but I also hope it can have a practical application for you and your photography business. Take some time to really discover any limiting beliefs you might have about pricing. Consider how your mode of communication affects the response you get from your prospects. Finally, remember that establishing a real value in the mind of your prospect is important. This last principle applies just as much to your photography website, by the way, as it does in a vocal conversation, which is why I don’t recommend that we advertise our fees online, but that’s a whole other can of worms!
Thanks for reading, and I wish you all the success you deserve for your business. Please share this with your friends and colleagues, and do leave your thoughts and comments.
Connect With The Photography Coach On Google+
Connect with the author, Nigel Merrick, on Google+
View our official Google+ page at: Photography Business and Marketing Google+ Page
What an amazing article! Just as there’s more to the question “How much should I charge for my work?” There’s more in this article than about pricing one’s work.
Great perspective and something we should all keep in mind when talking with clients. When you look at the time in education at refining your skills a photographer we have tremendous value. Add to that the equipment cost, most people couldn’t even rent the equipment for a day for what some photographers charge.
Nigel, as usual nice job !